Antonio Conte parts ways with Serie A champions Inter Milan
What's the story
Antonio Conte has left Inter Milan just three weeks after leading them to the Serie A title. The former Juventus and Chelsea manager spent two years in charge of Inter and had another one year remaining on his contract. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Conte's decision to leave Inter was because of the club asking him to sell key players. Here's more.
Statement
Agreement reached with Conte for termination of contract
"FC Internazionale Milano can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Antonio Conte for the termination of his contract by mutual consent. The club would like to thank Antonio for the extraordinary work that he has done, culminating in Inter's 19th top-flight title. Antonio Conte will forever remain a part of our Club's history," the club said in a statement.
Reason
Conte not keen to work with a downsized project
Conte decided to leave Inter as he wanted new signings and a clear project to help the club earn more success. However, the club is keen to sell players to get a valuable profit this summer due to the financial situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The newspaper claimed Inter wanted to cut salary costs by 15-20% and player departures would be necessary.
Reality
Inter are short of money due to the pandemic
Inter have been hit hard by the pandemic and rumors have stated that the Chinese owners are looking to sell up. As per BBC, Inter took a £215m loan from a United States investment firm to help the club cover costs and wages. Inter are short of money and need to scale down their ambitions despite winning the Serie A.
Improvement
Under Conte, Inter improved drastically
Inter have several top players in the ranks and Conte wanted to add more quality to fight for the league title next season, besides doing well in the Champions League. Since joining the club, he helped Inter finish second last season in the Serie A and reached the final of the Europa League. This season was a step up in many ways.
Our take
Conte's decision to leave Inter makes sense as Tottenham watch
Conte has made the right decision by not adhering to cutting budgets as he seeks success. Having his hands tied is something no top manager would want at a time where success is hard to achieve. With Tottenham looking for a new manager, Conte could be a prime candidate for the Premier League club. Conte had earlier helped Chelsea win trophies.
Information
Who could replace Conte at Inter?
Reports have claimed Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi is set to replace Conte at the San Siro. The former Italy striker has been in charge of Lazio since 2016 and led them to a sixth-place finish this season.